Floor Statements

Mr. President, I join Senator Cassidy of Louisiana, Senator Gardner of Colorado, and Senator Cotton of Arkansas in introducing the Balanced Budget Accountability Act. By establishing the principle No Balanced Budget, No Pay, this legislation will bring fiscal responsibility to Washington. The American people deserve a balanced budget. Unfortunately, Washington remains unwilling to take the steps needed to get our country back on solid fiscal ground. The Balanced Budget Accountability Act reflects core principles that work: common sense business practices that protect hardworking taxpayers and making elected officials accountable for delivering results to the people they serve. It is what Washington needs to finally balance the budget.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Madam President, as a father of four, I am deeply concerned by the very need for legislation like S. 295, the Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act. It is appalling that even a single one of our children is subject to such base and vile exploitation. As parents, and as a Nation, it is paramount we guard our children when there are those who would exploit them in pornography, who would enslave them in human and sex trafficking, and who would perpetrate this sickening crime upon them.

The Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Act is one more step in laying the full consequences of these heinous crimes upon the perpetrators. While current law brings criminals to justice before the courts, it can leave the victims to reconstruct their lives with only limited resources on hand. This bill would make sure victims of child pornography have what they need to rebuild and restore their lives by making the perpetrators financially responsible.

Yet while it is a good and necessary step, nothing can ever truly be done by the law or the courts to repair the damage that has been wrought on these lives. We must stop it before it begins. So let us help those who are in need of healing and stop those who would continue this violence.

Mr. President, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been instrumental in increasing access to our public lands, growing opportunities for outdoor recreation, and protecting wildlife. And there is great potential for the program to be used to increase access to our existing Federal lands.

My amendment expresses the sense of Congress that the Land and Water Conservation Fund serves an important role in improving wildlife habitat, increasing outdoor recreation opportunities, and facilitating economic development on our public lands.

It will also convey that funding and reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund should be a priority for Congress and as we consider its reauthorization, we should also look for improvements to the structure of the program. The benefits and opportunities for improvement to the Land and Water Conservation Fund should be thoroughly evaluated in a transparent legislative process.

My amendment would support authorization through the legislative process and allow for oversight and transparency in improving the program. My amendment is not intended to undermine the integrity of the program.

Montana's outdoors heritage is of great importance to our State's economy and thousands of Montanans' way of life. Supporting and improving the Land and Water Conservation Fund will help us ensure that this legacy is continued for future generations.

Mr. President, my amendment simply expresses the sense of Congress that all future national monument designations should be subject to consultation with local governments and the approval of the Governor and legislature of the States in which such designation would occur. This amendment ensures that the people affected most by these designations have a seat at the table and their voices are heard.

The current administration, as well as past administrations--both Republican and Democratic--have made efforts to stretch the intent of the Antiquities Act, threatening Montanans' ability to manage our State's resources.

It is a trend we are seeing. Any bill designation that impacts land management should be locally driven, not spearheaded in Washington.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment in order to call up amendment No. 246.

I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

Madam President, as a fifth-generation Montanan and lifelong sportsman, I have a deep appreciation for our public lands. Hunting, fishing, and hiking on our public lands are important parts of many Montanan's way of life. These are traditions I have enjoyed in my life and traditions I have also enjoyed with my kids.

It is important our State's outdoor heritage is protected for future generations. That is why protecting and increasing access to public lands is so important. The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been instrumental in increasing access to our public lands, growing opportunities for outdoor recreation and protecting wildlife. There is great potential for the program to be used to improve the management of our existing Federal lands.

In fact, there is much improvement to be made to make Federal land management more effective. My amendment will express the sense of the Congress that the Land and Water Conservation Fund plays an important role in improving wildlife habitat and increasing outdoor recreation opportunities on Federal as well as State land. It will also convey that reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund should be a priority for Congress and should include improvements in the structure of the program to more effectively manage existing Federal land.

Montana's outdoor heritage is of great importance to our State's economy and thousands of Montanans' way of life. We must work to improve programs such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund so it will work better for Montanans and all Americans.

Supporting and improving the Land and Water Conservation Fund will help us ensure this legacy is continued for future generations.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside to call up amendment No. 132.

I ask unanimous consent that reading of the amendment be dispensed with.

In Montana we understand our resource use must be done responsibly. We also know that Montanans who live and use the land every day understand how to best protect these resources.

Unfortunately, the current administration, as well as past administrations, both Republican and Democratic--their efforts to stretch the intent of the Antiquities Act threatens Montanans' ability to manage our State's resources. It is a trend we are seeing in other States as well.

Too often these unilateral designations ignore the needs of the local communities, of sportsmen, of farmers and ranchers, small business owners who are directly impacted by these new designations.

The amendment I am offering simply expresses the sense of Congress that all future national monument designations should be subject to consultation with local governance and the approval of the Governor of that State and the legislature of that State in which the designation would occur.

This amendment ensures the people affected most by these designations have a seat at the table and their voices are heard.

I yield back my time.

Mr. President, I applaud, first of all, the Senator from North Dakota for his leadership on this most important issue and his commitment to making it a priority for this Senate, the first bill introduced into this Senate. I also applaud the Senator from West Virginia; one example of, as we sit in this Chamber today, Republicans and Democrats discussing and supporting the Keystone XL Pipeline.

I reiterate many of the comments expressed by my colleagues and convey the importance of this pipeline, because as the Senator from North Dakota mentioned and showed on his map, the very first State the Keystone Pipeline enters as it comes from Canada is the State of Montana. Let me tell you something. It is not just a pipeline. This is also changing the way of life and economic stimulus for our great State.

I spend a lot of time traveling around the State in my pickup. As I drive around Eastern Montana, where the Keystone Pipeline will travel, I recognize this is a lifeline for many of our rural communities. In fact, Circle, MT--Circle, MT, is a small town of around 600 people. It is located in McCone County. It is one of six Montana counties that the Keystone XL Pipeline will run through. Circle, similar to a lot of small communities in Montana, has experienced the same economic and population declines that other towns have faced in recent years.

In fact, the county has significant infrastructure needs that have gone unresolved in the wake of a shrinking tax base. For towns such as Circle, the Keystone XL Pipeline is not just about energy. It represents economic opportunity and hope for the future. You see, McCone County alone would see $18 million in property tax revenue from the Keystone Pipeline construction. That is just in the pipeline's first year of operation. That is money for neighborhoods. It is money for roads, not to mention the influx of jobs for the area.

Another $45 million would be distributed among five other Montana counties, and $16 million would go to Montana's schools and university systems. You see, the Keystone XL Pipeline means lower energy costs for Montana families, for our senior citizens, and for small businesses.

In Glasgow, MT--I remember traveling in my pickup into Glasgow. I met with the NorVal Electric Co-op. They told me that if the Keystone Pipeline is approved, they will hold electric rates flat for their customers for the next 10 years. That is several thousand Montana families up in the northeast part of our State.

The reason for that is because they will supply electricity to these pump stations on the Keystone Pipeline. If the Keystone Pipeline is not approved, those ratepayers will see an approximate 40-percent increase in their utility rates over the next 10 years. That is a potential increase of $480 per year for the average household in Montana.

As the Senator from North Dakota mentioned, 100,000 barrels a day of the oil traveling through the Keystone Pipeline will be Montana and North Dakota oil. That supports the Bakken formation. With the revolution of hydraulic fracturing, what it is creating now is lower gas prices at the pump today.

Montanans know this pipeline is not just a lofty idea or some kind of DC-based rhetoric. It is hope for the people of my State. It is a tangible result and a solution that Montanans deserve. I have to tell you, that is why it is so disappointing that once again we are seeing the President and some Senate Democrats playing political games and perpetuating the 6 years of gridlock that have held back this job- creating project.

Rather than putting the American people first, the President has threatened to refuse the people of Montana their right to determine their economic future. It took the Canadians just 7 months to approve their end of the Keystone Pipeline. It has taken this President more than 6 years. That is 6 years without the hundreds of good-paying jobs that will be created in Montana and thousands more across the Nation.

That is 6 years without millions of dollars in critical revenue for Montana schools, for infrastructure, for teachers. That is 6 years without the answers and actions that Montanans deserve. I think the pipeline checks every box of common sense. It is environmentally sound, it creates jobs, it is economic opportunity, and it is going to help us move toward North American energy independence.

So the question is: Why are we still waiting? The people of Montana, the people of this country have said they have had enough. That is why we are here today speaking in support of this important project. I am proud the Senate is taking steps to move forward with the Keystone XL Pipeline. I know the House intends to do the same shortly. President Obama can continue to obstruct progress on American jobs and American energy independence, but the American people have sent a strong message that they are ready to remove any roadblocks that President Obama intends to put in the way.

The time for partisanship, the time for political games is over. It is time the Congress and this government gets to work for the American people and starts getting results for this country.

The polls are clear. Sixty-seven percent of the American people want the Keystone Pipeline approved.

Seventy-five percent of Montanans want the Keystone Pipeline approved. Prior to serving in Congress, I spent 28 years in the private sector, where we were focused on getting results in the real world. It seems only in DC are we outside of the real world of doing something and getting results on behalf of the American people. That starts with approving the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Mr. Speaker, last week, the House moved forward historic legislation that represents widespread Montana priorities. From protecting some of our State's greatest treasures, as well as access to our public lands, to developing Montana's energy resources and creating better certainty for our farmers and ranchers, this bill reflects the concerns of Montanans from across our entire State. But just as importantly, it represents the way we do things in Montana and the kind of change we need to see in Washington.

In Montana, we know the importance of rolling up our sleeves and working together to get something done. By coming together, the Montana delegation and Montanans from all corners of our State were able to break gridlock in Washington and bring this most important legislation forward.

I am proud that the House acted last week and passed this bill with strong bipartisan support. I call on the Senate to quickly do the same.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to illegal immigration, President Obama has long said that he has no legal authority to extend executive amnesty. Now, I don't say this very often, but you know what? I agree with him.

His job as President is to enforce the laws that Congress has passed, but now, President Obama seems to have forgotten that he is not a king. President Obama's plan to extend executive amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants is an unacceptable abuse of power that goes against the will of the American people. As the President said himself, ``That's not how our democracy works. That's not how our Constitution is written.''

President Obama should abandon this planned executive overreach and work with Congress to secure our borders and strengthen enforcement of the existing immigration laws.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2, the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act.

New technology has fueled a 21st century energy boom, but Americans are still paying way too much for everyday expenses like gas, groceries, and electricity. That is why the House has passed dozens of bills to lower energy costs and create jobs, like a bill that I introduced--and passed--called the Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act.

It passed unanimously last year. This is commonsense legislation. It would expand hydropower production in a number of Western States. It creates jobs while lowering electric prices for thousands of families.

Whether it is from approving the Keystone XL pipeline to stopping these out-of-touch regulations on our coal industry, the House is fighting to protect and grow American energy and the jobs it supports.

In fact, in Montana alone, more than 5,000 jobs depend on coal, and thousands of middle class families rely on coal-fired power for an affordable source of energy. Fifty-one percent of the electric supply in Montana comes from coal.

Construction of the Keystone pipeline will not only create thousands of good jobs, it is going to help keep energy prices low for Montana families. Let me tell you why.

I was out traveling in eastern Montana in my pickup. I visited the NorVal Electric Co-op in Glasgow, Montana. It will provide power for a future Keystone pump station on the pipeline.

If Keystone is built, NorVal will be able to keep their consumers' electric rates flat for the next 10 years, but, if it isn't, they expect that rates will grow upwards of 40 percent for those ratepayers over the course of the next decade.

These are hardworking Montana families, many of them living paycheck to paycheck, many on fixed incomes, that we will help with the Keystone pipeline.

Unfortunately, tomorrow marks the 6-year anniversary from the time the first permit to build the Keystone pipeline was filed. It took the Canadians 7 months to approve it. We are now at 6 years and waiting with this President.

The American people have waited far too long. That is why the House has passed legislation to approve its construction, but the Senate refuses to act. It is time for the Senate and the President to join us in fighting for solutions to create jobs, lower energy costs, and protect middle class American families.

Madam Speaker, Montana is a State blessed with people who have a strong commitment to service. In fact, more than 100,000 military veterans call our State home, and our dedicated law enforcement officials perform critical services each and every day.

On August 14, 2014, we lost a great Montanan when Cascade County sheriff deputy and Marine Corps combat veteran Joseph James Dunn the First was killed in the line of duty.

Joe put faith and family at the center of his life, going on multiple mission trips. He was described as a ``bold ambassador for Christ.'' No one was more important to Joe than his family: his dear wife, Robynn; son, Joey; and daughter, Shiloh.

Joe will be dearly missed by all who knew him. He personified service to his country, to his State, and to his community. Joe's life is an inspiration for all Montanans.

Mr. Speaker, when the President was trying to sell ObamaCare to the people of Montana, we were promised that if we like our health insurance, we can keep it. But millions of Americans, including 38,000 Montanans, were forced out of their health care plans, and President Obama's promise was named the Lie of the Year by PolitiFact.

The promise he made to Montanans should be honored.

The Employee Health Care Protection Act, H.R. 3522, will protect the health care plans of 50 million Americans who get coverage through their employer and provide relief for workers who could see their out- of-pocket costs increase due to ObamaCare.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3522 and help ensure that no more Montanans see their health care costs rise or are forced out of plans that they like and that they chose.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this important issue. I rise in support of the rule and H.R. 4315, the 21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act.

My home State of Montana is called the Treasure State, where we found settlers. In fact, my great-great-grandmother came out and homesteaded in Montana. They found productive ag lands. They found riches of minerals to sustain our industries among the many species that are important to our fishing and hunting heritage.

When the Endangered Species Act became law, Congress committed to helping to sustain our unique ecosystems and our way of life. However, too often ESA decisions are not based on sound science and it is about political science, unfortunately, and the law results in encouraging habitual litigation. The result has been fewer jobs and deteriorating forest health. And, as Mr. Bishop mentioned, the species aren't actually recovering with a batting average of .008. Frankly, the Endangered Species Act is like a 40-year-old ranch pickup: it once served a useful purpose but is in bad need of repair.

By increasing transparency--and this is about repairing the Endangered Species Act, bringing it forward to the 21st century so it actually delivers the outcomes we all desire, and that is recovering the species versus just listing them. H.R. 4315 begins an important process toward modernizing this well-intentioned but out-of-balance and out-of-date law. I urge the House and Senate to pass it.

I want to thank the gentleman from Utah for putting together this Special Order. I also want to thank you, Congressman Stewart, for your service to our country. As a B-1 bomber pilot, you in fact hold the record for the fastest nonstop flight around the world. Thank you for your service to our country, Chris.

As our closest ally, Israel's security is critical not only for the future of Israeli people, but also for the security of the United States. Both of our nations were founded by those seeking political and religious freedom.

Israel is the beacon of democracy in the Middle East. Our continued support for Israel is crucial to bringing peace, stability, and security to this most important region of the world.

Daily rocket fire from Gaza is one of the many threats facing the Israeli people. I was in Israel last year. As I stood at the border with Syria, I could hear mortar and rocket fire in the distance.

Since its founding in 1948, Israel has faced a number of existential threats from all sides, including invasion by its neighbors and terrorism from radical groups operating within Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.

This past March, representatives from Montana's Crow Tribe presented a formal resolution to Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer in my office here in Washington. The resolution from the Crow Legislature to the Israeli people affirmed their support of Israel's right to exist and recognized their shared challenges of maintaining political and territorial independence and a deep connection to their ancestral homelands.

During this meeting in my office with Crow Tribal leaders and Israeli Ambassador Dermer, his cell phone went off. It wasn't a call. It wasn't a text message. It wasn't an email.

It was an app he had on his phone that many Israelis have to warn them of impending rocket attacks. It was a sober realization that each time his phone made that noise, fearful Israeli families had seconds to scramble for their lives.

As the Israeli people remain steadfast in confronting these threats, they deserve our unyielding support now and in the future. America's commitment to Israel must never waver. We must stand with Israel.

Mr. Speaker, on April 10th, 1944, as many as 60 B-24 Liberators from the Fifth Air Force attacked enemy anti-aircraft targets and airfields on the northern coast of New Guinea.

One of those heavy bombers, known as ``Hot Garter,'' was hit by flak and went down with its crew of 12. On board was First Lieutenant William D. Bernier from Augusta, Montana.

The remains of nine of these brave Americans, including First Lieutenant Bernier were determined to be ``unrecoverable'' but due to technological advances, his remains were recently identified and will soon be at rest in Montana.

It is the solemn duty of our nation to not leave any behind who have made the ultimate sacrifice. On behalf of the state of Montana, thank you to those who worked diligently to bring William home.